Cork rod packing machine



Dec.- 19, 1939. J. M. BINDER CORK ROD PACKING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed ec; 14, 1936 H H II 11 INVENTOR. JOHN M B/NDER] v ww ATTORNEY.

1939. J. M. BINDER 2,183,928

' CORK ROD PACKING MACHINE 7 Filed Dec. 14, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 I24 H2121 I28 H t r r I 5 l' I II I III I04- INVENTOR.

' BY Mw/NDEK ATTORNEY.

Dec. 19; 1939. J. M. BINDER CORK ROD PACKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 19369 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOHN M BINDER.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 19, 1939.

J. M. BINDER CORK ROD PACKING MACHINE Filed Dec. l4, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet4 INVENTOR. Jamv M B/NDER.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 19, 1939. J BINDER 2,183,928

CORK ROD PACKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 nodINVENTOR.

z ]fl BY .lomv M. BINDER.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 19 1939. J. BlNDER 2,183,928

CORK ROD PACKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet 6- INVENTOR.Jam/M BINDER.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 19, 1939. J. M. BINDER 2,183,928

CORK ROD PACKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR.JOHN M fi/NDER ATTORNEY.

19, 1939. l J. M. BINDER 2,183,928

CORK ROD PACKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1936 9 Sheets-Shet 8 I VIII I J@AMA 1 zxvuvrox. JOHN M B/NDEE.

A TTORNEY;

Dec. 19, 1939. .1. M. BlNDER CORK ROD PACKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14,1956 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR.

JOHN M. BINDER.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFiCE CORK ROD PACKINGMACHINE Application December 14;, 1936, Serial No. 115,877

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for packing groundor comminuted material, such as cork, mixed with a suitable binder, intorods or sticks, commonly termed cork rods.

Round cork discs provided as packings in metal caps for the closure ofreceptacles, such as, bottles or cans, consists each of a thin layer ofground cork which has been sliced in predetermined thickness from suchcork rods.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine, whichwill produce cord rods of uniform density and diameter. This uniformityin cork rod structure is made possible by the novel design of machinemade in accordance with this invention by which accurate, equal chargesof cork are fed each time between packing operations. Heretofore, inmost instances, the cork rods required a supplemental shaving operationto bring about uniformity in diameter prior to being sliced into discs.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cork rod packingmachine simple in construction, emcient and practical in operation andwhich will operate with a minimum amount of waste.

In a general way the device comprises a vertically reciprocating headcarrying a plurality of circumferentially arranged plungers or ramsprogressively diminishing in length, the difierence in length of twoadjacent plungers or rams representing the height of a packed charge ofgranular cork at a stage of production of the cord rod; anintermittently revolving turret for supporting and moving in stations aplurality of tubes to be charged with granular cork and to receiveprogressively the plungers and for providing instrumentalities forcontrolling, regulating and for intermittently feeding into the tubes,the charges of granular cork to be compressed by the plungers betweensuccessive feedings; and a carriage for presenting the empty tubes tothe turret.

According to a phase of the present invention there is provided aseparate feeding device for each active tube and which movessimultaneously therewith. The feeding devices receive the charge ofmaterial from a common hopper which revolves therewith. Each feedingdevice comprises a receptacle vertically partitioned to provide a pairof measuring pockets or compartments. The receptacles are located belowthe common hopper. Below each receptacle is a chute providing apassageway connecting the receptacle with one of the tubes to becharged.

The receptacles are arranged for intermittent revolvement about a commonaxis and. rotation about their respective axes. While one compartment isreceiving a charge of granular cork from the common hopper, the othercompartment is being discharged into the tube through the connectingchute. Each receptacle, therefore, simultaneously receives anddischarges equal charges of granular cork. By turning a half revolutionthe compartment containing the charge is brought from a position underthe common hopper to a position above the chute, and the emptycompartment from a position above the chute to a position under thecommon hopper. These simultaneous operations increase to a considerableextent the efiiciency of the machine. Furthermore, as one-half cyclelapses before the feeding takes place sufficient time is obtained forthe granular cork to drop into the tubes. The amount of charge isregulated by an adjustable scraper which pushes excess material from thecharged compartment into the empty compartment during rotation of thereceptacle. A device is employed to close the compartment inlets duringthe travel stages of the turret. This device is located in the commonhopper and prevents thematerial entering the receptacles during suchtime. This device also functions as a shaker to agitate the material inthe hopper thus facilitating the feeding of the material into thereceptacle compartment. An arrangement is provided so that thedevicefunctions as a shaker only when not functioning as a closure. Thatis, the shaker functions as a closure while the turret is moving andfunctions as a shaker during stationary intervals of the turret when thefeeding is done. The shaker controls the amount of flow of the granularcork from the common hopper into the compartments, respectively, theagitation of the shaker breaking up any lumps which may have formedwithin this hopper. To assure the complete and free discharge of thecork granules from the compartments into the chutes, means areintermittently introduced into the charged compartments for producing aslight downward pressure at the upper portion of the charges.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and inthe relative proportioning and disposition thereof all as morecompletely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend theunderlying features thereof that they may embody the same by thenumerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by thisinvention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as apart of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of a cork rod packing machine made inaccordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top portional view of the shaker or agitator andcork flow control mechanism.

Fig. 3a is a sector of the scraper.

Fig. 4 is a top view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the cam used with the shaker.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the driving mechanism. To simplifythe drawing, the conventional supports, brackets and bearings have beenomitted.

Fig. 7 is a top View of Fig. 6. To simplify the drawing, theconventional supports and brackets for the gears and shafts have beenomitted.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional View of the upper operatingmechanism. For simplification, the shaker shown in Fig. 3, has beenomitted.

Fig. 8a is a partial half view of the hopper showing the arrangement ofthe cork pushers.

Fig 9 is an enlarged view of the cork filling portion of the device. I

Fig. 10 is an enlarged View of the roller bearing track.

Figs. 11 to 13, inclusive, are diagrammatic views showing how the groundcork is portioned into the tube.

Fig. 14 is a sectional top view taken along lines M-M of Fig. 8.

Fig. 14a is a diagrammatic side view of the chain drives shown in Fig.14.

Fig. 15 is a half-top plan view of the hopper ring.

Fig. 16 is a sectional view of Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a half-top plan View of the filler ring.

Fig. 18 is a sectional view of Fig. 1'7.

Fig. 19 is a half-top view of the inner gear track.

Fig. 20 is a sectional view of Fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is a half-top view of the external intermittent gear track.

Fig. 22 is a sectional view of Fig. 21.

Fig. 23 is a half sectional plan view of the hopper and mechanismstherewithin.

Fig. 24 is a partial half view of the hopper showing the two holeclosing arrangement.

The device generally comprises a housing 25 resting on a floor F. Thedriving mechanism 26 is contained within housing 25. A driven pulley 2';and an idler pulley 28 is located outside the housing. A belt 29transmits the power from any source (not shown) to pulley 21. The twopulleys 21' and 28 are mounted on the drive shaft 3% which is in turnmounted outside housing 25 by the bearing 3|. Bearing 3| is supported bymeans of a bracket 32 secured to housing Ihe drive shaft 3:3 issupported within housing 25 by hearing 33. Near the end of the shaftopposite the pulleys 2T, 23, the drive shaft 3!! has mounted upon it agear .54 which in turn drives a larger gear 35. Gear 35 is mounted on ashaft 38 supported between two bearings 31, 88. Mounted upon shaft 36are two smaller gears 39, ii! of equal size. The gear iii drives themain gear ii in one direction, and the gear 39 drives two medium sizedgears 32, mounted on a shaft 44, the latter being supported in bearing44'. The gear it drives the second main gear 15 in a direction oppositeto that of main gear ii.

Secured respectively to the two main gears 4i and d5 as by rivets 46'are lever arms li and 41, which by rotation of these gears are made toswing around in the direction of arrows 43 and 49. Rollers 50, 5! aresecured to the extreme ends 52, 53 of levers 48, Q1, respectively. Theserollers 50, 5E operate the cross head 5 5 upon which is mounted by meansof a bearing 55 the push rod 56. This cross head may be constructed offiat pieces 5?, 5B of suitable material spaced by means of spacers 59,5t and Si and secured by rivets 62. The swinging of the levers 4B, 41will move the cross-head 5t up and down thereby operating the push rod56 in the same directions. Push rod 58 operates the plunger head 9| aslater described. Main gears 4!, are mounted on two separate shafts 63,64, respectively, which are respectively supported by means of bearings65 and 66. The shaft fi l is somewhat longer than shaft 63 and has onits other end a bevel gear 6'1, which in turn meshes with a bevel gear63 of the same size. Bevel gear Bil is mounted on a drive shaft 5% whichoperates the shaker or agitator shown in Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive.Sprocket wheel it! is mounted on shaft 59 and drives chain H, which inturn drives the delivery chain sprocket 'Hl', mounted on shaft 69. Asprocket I58 is also mounted on shaft 69 which drives by means of achain E5! the sprocket i543 mounted on short shaft l52. This shaft I52also carries an intermittent gear I53 which is in engagement with gearl5 carried by shaft 8|, thereby driving the tube delivery chain 1 Iintermittently. The delivery chain l is provided with spaced fingers 12which guide therebetween the tubes T in the direction of the arrows 74and T5. The empty tubes 13 are carried inward toward the carrier disc orguides Ht, while the loaded tubes 71 are taken off by fingers 12 as at18 (see Fig. 14). The construction shown in the drawings provide fortwenty-eightno-tches 19 in carrier disc I I 6 and for twenty-six tubescircumferentially arranged around the machine. Endless chain H istrained over a sprocket mounted on shaft 8! rotatively supported inbracket 8i and a sprocket 80 for intermittent movement mounted on shaft69. There are preferably two of these chains H employed, namely, B and Prespectively, (Fig. 1) for engaging the tubes T intermediate their ends.

Ebrtending laterally from housing 25 is a track Tr and above this trackand extending from the bottom of the hopper portion (later described) isanother track Tr, between which tracks the empty tubes 13 fed into theturret W of the machine and the filled tubes 17 removed therefrom slide.

Mounted on shaft 69 is an intermittent gear 82 (Fig. 21) which rotatesthe external gear track 83, intermittently. Gear track 83 consists ofthe non-toothed arcuate portions 84' engaging with the non-toothedarcuate portion 85 of gear 32, and two teeth 88 adapted to engage withthe teeth 8'! of gear 82. An arcuate guard 88 (Fig. 14) may be providedfor the gear track 83.

Mounted on the table top 84 by means of a flange 85 is the cylinder 86.Cylinder 86 is provided with two slots 3'! and 88 through which thecross head 89, mounted by means of bearing 90 to push-rod 56 moves theplunger head 9| up and down. Only one short plunger 92 and one longplunger 93 are shown, but it is understood, that thereare a plurality ofplungers of progressively varying lengths as is customary with machinesof this type. There are twenty-six plungers in this example of machine.

Fig. 8 shows the plunger head in upper position. This plunger headconsists of a double flange portion 94 with two guide flanges 95 and 96.Cross head 89 rests on the top portion 94' of lower flange 90. Theplungers may be secured to the two horizontal flanges 98 and 99 by meansof nuts I09. About midway of the upper portion of the machine, is asheet-metal hopper IOI which rests in the hopper ring member I02 havingan outlet I03 into each of twenty-. eight tubular members or sleevesI00. Vertical partitions I05 are provided dividing the sleeves into twoequal compartments. The cork granules C will fall from hopper IIII intoportion or compartment I06, while the portion or compartment I01 hasjust emptied, as shown in Figs. 11 to 13, inclusive. The intermittentgear track 03 (Figs. 8, 14 and 22) will now have turned a distance equalto a space between two respective tubes which is one twenty-eighth of arevolution, and from the position shown in Fig. 11 to the i one shown inFig. 13.

While sleeves I01 turn as in Fig. 12, the cork load falls into the smallfunnel or chute I08 and from there as at I09 into the tube T (see Fig.13). The intermittent movement of the turret W has now ceased and theplunger head will descend and each plunger will compress the respectivecharge in each respective tube.

Tubular members I 1 are connected by means of shafts II9 to gears IIIwhich engage with the inner teeth II 2 of the internal gear track II2(Fig. 19). Shafts H0 are mounted in thrust bearings II3. After the corkhas filled the half sections of sleeves I04 as shown in Figs. 11, 12 and13, it is desirable to assure its free flow into the chutes I08. This isaccomplished by a slight pressure of the pusher arms I60 (Figs. 23 and8a) against the charges of cork in the compartments. The pusher fingersI 6| will contact the cork (not shown in Fig. 8a). These arms I60 aresecured to a disc I62 by any suitable means, such as, for example rivetsor screws. On its downward movement, disc I62 will rest against a numberof lugs I63, which are secured to cyl inder 89. A plurality of rods I64are secured to ring I62 but slide through respective openings in thehorizontal flanges 98, 99 of the plunger head 9|. This plunger head canthereby move downward with the fingers I60 remaining in the positionshown in Fig. 8a. Shortly before the completion of the upward stroke ofhead 9| the upper flange 98 will catch the head I65 of the rods I64 andcarry the same up with the fingers IBI and thereby out of the sleevesI09, which are now free to perform their half revolution movement. Fig.23 shows plainly at I69 where the fingers I6I enter the sleeves I09. Asalso shown in Fig. 23, the pusher arms I60 are curved to clear theplungers 92 to 93.

The tubes T are held in their respective positions by guides H0, H5 andH6 (Fig. 8). The lower ends of the tubes T rest on top of the gear track83, which in turn is rotatably mounted on tapered roller bearings II1 ontop N8 of the flange 85 (see particularly Fig. Referring particularly toFigs. 8, 9 and 10 supports II9 are employed to hold together stationaryparts including table 94, guides II5, inner gear track I I2 and guardI39. Support rods M tie together the rotating members of the turret W,such as, the

intermittent gear track 83, tube guards H6, H4,

chute member I08, hopper casting I02, and hop-- per IOI. Hopper castingI02 is secured to chute casting I09 by means of bolts I02. Spacers II6'are utilized for spacing the guard member H6 from intermittent geartrack 83. Chute flange IE9 is rotatably mounted on column 86. A

guide bearing I20 for the push rod 56 may be hopper IOI as shown in Fig.24. All outlets I03 will successively enter location I03, I03" duringeach revolution of the turret. Twenty-eight openings I03 and sleeves I00are provided with but twenty-six plungers, which, therefore, requiresclosing up the two outlets I03, I93 which do not receive plungers.

To prevent the cork from sticking or bunching together and to providealso for a stopping of the flow during the turning movement of thefilling sleeve I09, a shaker or agitator is provided as illustrated inFigs. 3 to 5, inclusive. This shaker comprises a top plate I20, securedto the head IEI of cylinder 99 by means of a hub I22 with shaft I23.Mounted on top plate I is a plate I24 having the eccentric track I25.The shaker shaft 69 has mounted on it a plate I29 having a pin I21 whichengages in the track I25.

Supported from the top of plate I20 by means of hangers I29 is theshaker ring I29, having legs I30 having closures ISI and openings I32.Closures I9I are adapted to close openings I03 during the turningoperation of sleeves I04.

The amount of cork flow may be adjusted by means of the flow controlsleeve I33 which is supported by a plurality of lugs I34 havingadjusting screws I35 (Fig. 3a).

The table housing I38 is provided with a hinged cover I91 clearing thedriving mechanism (Fig. 6). A shift lever I39 may be provided forshifting the drive belt 29 from the idler pulley 20 to the operatingpulley 21. The thrust bearings IE3 are preferably protected by aremovable guard I99 (Fig. 1).

The operation of the machine is as follows:

The ground cork mixed with the proper amount of binding material isplaced in the hopper IOI. Empty tubes 13 are placed between fingers 12on sprocket chains H as indicated in Fig. 14.

The machine is put in operation by shifting lever I38 thus carrying thedrive belt 29 from the idler pulley 28 to driver pulley 21. The train ofgears in the housing 25 will drive the two main gears M and 45 inopposite directions. The two ,levers 96 and 41 are made to swing aroundin opposite directions thereby lifting or lowering the lower cross head54. Attached to this cross head 54 is the push rod 56 which in turnoperates the plung er head 9I. In the construction illustrated in thedrawings, the plungerhead is provided with twenty-six plungersprogressively varying in lengths from 92 to 93. The difference in lengthfrom one plunger to the next is equal to the height of each compressednew charge of cork in the tubes T. The gear drive in the housing 25 willalso drive an upright shaft 69 by means of bevel gears 61 and 68 andwill engage the sprocket 10' by means of a chain drive II. This sprocketl drives the delivery chain H in the direction of arrows l4 and H5 (Fig.14). Also fastened to the sprocket shaft 69 is the intermittent gear 82driving the intermittent gear track 83. Tubes T are carried into turretW intermittently by delivery chains N. This intermittent movement of thechains 'H is obtained by means of sprockets, chains and intermittentgears clearly shown in Fig. 1%. The delivery chain will now position theempty tubes F3 in the notches E9 of carrier disc '55. The cork granulesin the hopper lfll fall into one compartment of each of the twentyeightsleeves Hit. The shaker ring E29 carrying closures Hi and operated bythe cam I24 agitates the cork in the hopper and prevents it fromlumping. The cam i24- has a uniform track portion H (Fig. 5) duringwhich traverse by the pin I21 the ring I29 will not agitate and willclose the outlets N13 to the sleeves lt-t which at this time are makingone-half a turn. This turning movement of the members or sleeves MM isbrought about by cooperation between stationary internal gear track H2and the small gears ill each fixed to a sleeve EM. After the tubes Thave advanced a stage during which time sleeve I04 will have performedin a manner indicated in Figs. 11 to 13, inclusive, the balance of thetrack I25 by reason of its shape will cause pin I27 which rides in thesaid track to vibrate the shaker twice back and forth, facilitating theflow of cork from hopper llll into the empty sleeve compartment.

While the shaker illustrated in Figs. 3-5, inclusive will control theflow of the granular cork from the hopper llll into one of the halves ofthe sleeve lllt and while the vibration of this shaker will break up anypossible lumps which may have formed within hopper ifll, provision ismade to assure-the complete and free discharge of the cork from thesleeves iil l into chutes I83. This is obtained by the fingerarrangement clearly illustrated in Fig. 8a, in which the free end it! ofeach finger I69 enters a sleeve lil l through an opening I66, producinga slight pressure against the top of the charge of cork in the sleevecompartment, thereby causing an immediate discharge into chute I08.

During engagement of teeth Bl of small intermittent gear 82 with teeth36 of large gear 83 (this movement being one twenty-eighth of onerevolution) a preceding tube advances from the delivery chains H to aposition under one of the funnels wt of chute lilil. During thisadvancing movement closures lSi carried by legs I36 substantially closethe inlet openings I63 during which time sleeve lil i revolves one-halfturn as shown (Figs. 11-43, inclusive). Turret W now has completed onetwenty-eighth of one revolution and the shaking of the ring 29 permitsthe cork to enter the empty half chamber of the filler sleeve w t. Theabove operation repeats itself.

The amount of each charge of cork in the sleeve iii-t can be controlledby raising or lowering the control ring I33 located at the top of thereceptacles or sleeves [E 3 and supported by a plurality of bracketsI34, by means of adjusting screws I35. As the tubular members iil lrotate one-half turn, the lower surface of the control ring I33 scrapesoff the surplus of cork from the charged compartment into the emptycompartment. The receptacles or sleeves I04 constitute measuring deviceswhich are regulatable by means of control ring I33.

It is believed from the above description that those skilled in the artwill have no difliculty in understanding the construction, the method ofuse and operation of the device herein disclosed and a further detaileddiscussion thereof is deemed unnecessary. The invention is of simple andpractical construction and is adapted to accomplish among others all ofthe objects and advantages herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In a machine of the character described, an intermittently revolvablehopper having a plurality of outlet openings, chutes located below theoutlet openings, tubes located below the chutes, a rotating support forthe tubes, chutes and hopper, a measuring device located between eachhopper outlet and a chute and rotatable relative to said hopper andchute by means independent of the hopper and chute, said measuringdevice being provided with a dividing partition normally located betweeneach hopper outlet and chute, means for rotating each measuring deviceto cause it to direct material received by it from the hopper into thechute, an agitator for vibrating the hopper contents and operativewithin the hopper and provided with closure elements for closing thehopper outlet openings during periods of rotation of the hopper, meansfor moving the agitator to non-closing position and vibrating the samewhile in such position during periods of rest of the hopper, and meansentrant into the tubes for compressing the material delivered into thesame from the hopper and through the measuring devices and. chutes.

2. In a machine of the character described, a hopper for containingparticles of material to be fed and compressed in tubes, means forintermittently revolving said hopper, the hopper being provided withoutlet openings, a plurality of chutes movable in company with thehopper and disposed below the hopper and through which the hoppercontents passes, tubes carried below the chutes for the reception of thematerial passing therethrough, a measuring device interposed betweeneach hopper outlet and each chute, said measuring device comprising arotatable cylinder provided with a vertical partition dividing it intotwo chambers, means for rotating each cylinder relative to the hopperand chute to cause the material located in one of the chambers to berotatively moved to a position over one of the chutes into which itdescends, plunger means entrant into the tubes for compressing thematerial delivered thereinto from the chutes, pusher arms movableagainst material in one of the chambers in the cylinder for forcing thematerial therein down into the chute disposed below it, and meansengaged by the plunger means on elevation of said pusher arms out of thecylinder chamber to thereby permit rotative movement of the hopper, thechutes and the cylinders.

3. In a machine of the character described, an intermittently revolvablehopper having a plurality of outlet openings, chutes located below theoutlet openings and movable in company therewith, tubes located belowthe chutes and movable with the same, a rotating support for the tubes,chutes and hopper, a measuring device located between each hopper outletand a chute and rotatable relative to the hopper and chute by meansindependent of the hopper and chute, said measuring device beingprovided with a vertically disposed dividing partition normally locatedbetween each hopper outlet and chute, means for rotating each measuringdevice to cause it to dirotation of the hopper, means for moving theagitator to non-closing position and vibrating the same while in suchposition during periods of rest of the hopper, a feed control ringwithin the hop per and having its lower edge disposed within the.

measuring devices whereby its lower edge will scrape off surplusmaterial in the measuring device upon movement of the same from fillingto delivery position, means for adjustably positioning said controlring, and means entrant into the tubes for compressing the materialdelivered into the same from the hopper and through the measuringdevices and chutes.

4. In a machine of the character described, an intermittently rotatablehopper provided with a plurality of outlet openings, a chute disposedbelow each of the hopper outlets but to one side of the same, saidchutes being rotatively moved in company with the hopper, a cylinderlocated below each hopper outlet, means for rotating said cylinderindependently of and relative to the chutes, means for dividing eachcylinder into two chambers, one of which communicates with an outletopening while the other simultaneously communicates with a chute, avertically disposed tube having an open upper end disposed beneath eachof said chutes, said tube-end being disposed to one side of the cylinderlocated above it, an agitator operative within the hopper and providedwith closure elements for closing the hopper outlets during periods ofrotative movement of the hopper, means for moving the agitator tonon-closing position and simultaneously vibrating the same while in suchposition during periods of rotative rest of the hopper, and meansentrant into the tubes for compressing the matethrough the cylinders andchutes.

5. In a machine of the character described, an intermittently revolvablehopper for containing particles of material to be fed into tubes, saidhopper having outlet openings, a plurality of intermittently revolvablechutes movable in company with the hopper, aplurality of measuringdevices interposed between said chutes and the outlet openings of thehopper, rotatable'me'ans for carrying a tube below each of the chutes toreceive material therefrom, an agitator operative within the hopper andprovided with closure elements for closing the outlet openings of thehoprial delivered into the same from the hopper and per during itsperiods of rotation, means for moving the agitator to non-closingposition and vibrating the game while in such position during periods ofrest of the hopper, plunger means entrant into the tubes for compressingthe material delivered into the same from the hopper

